Improvement in chains



.C. W. LEVALLEY.

CHAINS.

No.181f082. Patenteci Aug.15, 1876.

Km PHOMHOGRAFNER. WASHINGTON D C.

to be inserted.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

CHRISTOPHER W. EEVALLEY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHAINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 18 l ,082, dated August15, 1876; application filed December 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER W. LE- VALLEY, of St. Paul, county ofRamsey, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Chains, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,making part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a front or topView of my improved chain. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same;and Fig. 3 is a view showing the relation which the links assume inbeing connected with or disconnected from each other.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all figures.

The invention relates to that class of sprocket-Wheel chains in whichthe links are constructed in such manner as to permit the removal orinsertion of one or more links in the chain by hand; and consists in anovel construction of link, hereinafter explained, whereby the liabilityof accidental withdrawal, consequent to such construction, is greatlydiminished, as hereinafter set forth.

' 1n the accompanying drawings, A represents the link, rectangular inform, and composed of the two side bars a a and end bars b b. The bar 11is flat, and extended into hook form, curved to describe nearly acomplete circle, but leaving a space between its two extremities aboutequal to onehalt' the thickness of the bar bin its greatest diameter.This hook is beveled, or made tapering breadthwise, so that the endshall only be equal in breadth to about onehali' the length of the barI). The bar b has also formed upon it, opposite to the end of the hook,a tapering lip, b corresponding in length to the end of the hook, whichlip bounds on one side the space into which the bar b of another link isThe opposite bar b of the link is cutaway on both sides, as shown at c,for about one-half its length, and midway between its two ends, leavinga web or flattened bar corresponding in thickness to the space leftbetween the end of the hook I) and the lip b the shoulders formed byflattening the bar being beveled to match the beveled ends of said hookand lip.

The two side bars a a, at the end next the bar I), have notches formedin them, into which the ends of the hook fit, by which arrangement allforward or endwise movement of the links in relation to each other iseii'ectually prevented, while at the same time the free movement of thehook around bar bis permitted, to accommodate the varying angles to eachother which the links may have to assume when a chain so constructed isin use.

In connecting the links together, the front faces of the'links, with theends reversed, are held facing each other at an angle of about ninetydegrees, more or less, the flattened portion of bar I) of one linkopposite to the space between the hook and lip of the other, when saidbar I) is permitted to slip into the space left between said lip andhook, after which a slight turn given to either link prevents theirbeing disconnected until they are again brought to the exact position atwhich they were connected.

The link is cast in the form above described, the hook part being formedby means ot'a core placed in the mold, which also chills it, therebystrengthening the'hook, and preventing its being straightened or drawnout when in use, as is sometimes done where the hook is made malleable,and afterward bent into the required form.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The link A, provided with the beveled or tapering hook at one end,and with the centrally notched or recessed bar at the other, constructedto operate in the manner described.

2. The link provided with the hook b lip b and flattened or recessed endbar b, constructed as described, for the purpose set forth.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY.

Witnesses:

JAS. R. WALSH, THos. OOCHRAN, J r.

